Sep 25, 2008

India - DRDO develops 'laser power' for Indian troops

NEW DELHI: Following in the footsteps of the US Armed Forces, the Indian Army soldiers will soon be armed with laser guns to help take on militants without even firing a single shot. The Laser Science and Technology Centre (LASTEC), a DRDO laboratory, has developed 'Laser Dazzler' - a non-lethal gun - for the armed forces to be used during counter-insurgency and anti-terrorist operations. "The laser gun is a non-lethal anti-personnel weapon, which could be used to disorient or dazzle an armed soldier or a terrorist without causing any collateral damage in the process," LASTEC's Associate Director A K Maini told PTI here today. He said the gun would flash a laser beam, which could virtually "blind" the terrorist or anti-social element for around 40 seconds - time good enough for the troops to nab the culprit. The flash beam of the gun is two to three metres wide, which would provide better chances to the forces in disorienting the target. "The gun can be used effectively in counter-insurgency operations and close combat battles by the defence and paramilitary forces," Maini said. The DRDO-developed gun would be used for trials by the Army in counter-insurgency operations in the next five to six months. It would be tested in "real combat" situations in both Jammu and Kashmir and North Eastern states. The laser guns are also fully compliant with the UN conventions, which prohibit the use of laser guns that cause permanent blindness.